K-Pad Ghana's Answer to Ipad?

Alltel Limited's flagship product, K-Pad tablet, is gaining worldwide attention due to its increased patronage, affordability and locally developed free web applications for users, according to its manufacturers.

It runs on Google's Android operating system as well as Microsoft's Windows 7 and 8.

SPECIFICATION: 9.7inch K-PAD tablet with Android  OS, Multi–touch screen, LCD screen, Freescale i.MX515 CORTEX A8 CPU, 2G Flash memory, Bluetooth, WIFI support 802.11b/g, 1.3 mega pixel webcam, supports word, excel, PowerPoint, PDF and TXT, supports most video and audio player formats, USB, e-learning and e-books.

The 'K' in 'K-Pad' stands for Kludgeson. Kofi Kludgeson, the Executive Chairman of Alltel Limited, a Ghanaian IT company.

Talking to newsman this week, he said, "After five years of technical development, we have come out with a product that is a major breakthrough in the world of technology. We have come out with K-Pad and in three months the product has hit the world market in a mighty way."

The product, which comes in 7, 8, 9.7 and 10.1-inch variants, allows people to enjoy many free web applications like never before, most of which are local content developed to suit the Ghanaian and African environment.

It has high definition videos, precise touch screen technology, camera with high images, downloadable software, e-learning material, advanced picture quality and the latest blue tooth application.

"Our focus on K-Pad", said Kludgeson "is to look at the rural communities because there they have problems with data.

In the health sector for instance, we want nurses to use K-Pad to record the basic data requirement for patients in order to make healthcare more accessible and efficient."

He said K-Pad has transformed into an African project and the goal of Alltel is to target only five per cent of each economy's population.

"In the last few months, we have had a lot of the international press, some from Belgium Television, Reuters and BBC wanting to know more about Alltel and its products, especially the K-Pad."

One major advantage K-Pad has is that it is an open system device with USB. "From generation to revelation, we have factored all on the K-Pad. We have negotiated for the right to have free web applications for our customers because in our part of the world affordability is a major concern."

Another innovation Alltel is going to introduce in the next two weeks is a product called "K-Phone".

K-Phone, is mobile phone with an android operating system and dual SIM that will give 24/7 internet service to users. In addition, Alltel hopes to develop a 4G network in Ghana.

Alltel's mission, Mr Kludjeson noted, is to encourage Ghanaian youth to go into web application development so that they can be self-sustaining and create jobs for themselves and other people through the devices they develop.

"In the next three years, we should be able to create and empower skills development for about one million youths in Ghana. The country is growing currently at 15% and a lot is happening and if we do not take advantage of the knowledge and technology gap, a time will come when only foreigners will do that for us."

Alltel intends to list on the Ghana Stock Exchange in the next 12 months, where it aims at giving about 100,000 people the right to become part owners of the company.